Waiting
by MultipleCyrosis
Summary: A short piece that requires you to think. A change of hearts over playing card games. And someone has to wait, maybe forever. [IchiRuki][IMPORTANT: This story is continuing!]
1. In The Beginning

**AN: **Well…here is another oneshot that I wrote on impulse…it's a bit more on the sad side, sorta. Well, it was inspired by some song, and I guess the song was kinda sad. Anyway, here's the short story. Dunno where in the Bleach timeline it is. Somewhere in there.

WARNING: you may have to read this more than once to 'get' it. If you don't get it, send in a review saying you don't and I will explain it to you.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach

- - -

**Waiting**

**- - -**

"_It is a sure known fact…For a shinigami to die; he or she must have their head separated from the body."_

_Kieto Haru,_

_Vice Captain, 1st division, 100 AD_

- - -

_Unknown time_

Unohana walked in the patient's room, not surprised to see two figures on the bed.

She tapped the female on the shoulder.

"Rukia, it's morning."

The other woman's eyelids fluttered. She untangled herself from the person next to her.

"Mmm…" she murmured. "It's morning already?"

"Yes," Unohana answered as she opened the blinds. "I hope you didn't do anything –"

"Haven't heard that one before," Rukia said before Unohana could continue her dry, not to mention overused joke.

"Well, I just thought, after this long you might have gotten a little bolder," replied Unohana from the doorway.

"Go away," Rukia shouted half-heartedly, as she playfully chucked a pillow at the closing door.

But…what she had said was partly true. She turned around, and surveyed the figure next to her. He wasn't sleeping.

A coma. That was what they had called it on earth.

It had been terrible, that day. She had found him dead. Well, almost dead. His head been partly severed from his body. At that, she had thought all hope was lost, as when a shinigami's head is cut off from the body, eternal death ensues.

She had done the only thing she could have done. She brought his battered body back to Soul Society. They had immediately ordered her to go back, and fetch his real body, providing no explanation to the family.

They simply thought…he had disappeared. It was cruel, but it was the only thing they could do if they wanted to save his life.

And save his life they did, but he never fully recovered. He had just lay in this…coma, day in and day out. She stayed with him, for the majority of that time. Sleeping beside him, and taking his near-lifeless form in her arms.

Many shinigami often wondered why the great ryoka, who successfully infiltrated Soul Society, had been nearly killed by such a low class hollow.

Rukia knew why. She suspected others knew too, but she didn't go out of her way to tell any of them.

This was her responsibility, and so she stayed by his side. She had tried talking to him, but there was never any response. Last night she thought she couldn't take it anymore, and had confessed her love to him. She told him that she loved him, told him that she was sorry.

Yet there was no reaction.

"Ichigo…won't you ever wake up?"

- - -

_Present time_

"Ah, Mr. Kurosaki, you have a visitor."

"Did they make an appointment?"

"Ah, no, she just said to tell you, 'Rukia'. She said that you would understand."

Ichigo swallowed. Just when was the last time he had seen her?

- - -

_10 years ago_

Rukia bit her nails, a sure sign that she was feeling uncomfortable.

"I like you…" she said slowly.

"But?"

Ichigo raised his eyebrows expectantly. There had to be a 'but'. There always was, not that he confessed his love to girls occasionally. Up front, his face was painted with the same bored expression, but inside, he was squirming. The suspense was killing him.

It had been alright, a moment ago, the two of them playing a simple card game Ichigo had taught her. Upon impulse, he had taken her hand as she was about to take a card from his hand. She hadn't questioned him, as if she knew something had to happen. Instead, a heavy silence had followed, before his abrupt confession. It was terribly simple, he thought, looking in her eyes.

But now…now was the un-simple part. The part where he had to wait for a response. Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes seemed to turn to hours.

"But...I can't…"

"Have a relationship right now," Ichigo finished for her.

She looked up in surprise. Did this human kid just take the words out of her mouth? He knew her quite well. She furrowed her brow.

"How did you know I was going to say that?"

"Never mind. But it's ok…I can wait for you," he said hesitantly, as if expecting a negative comment.

Rukia's face turned serious again. What was she going to tell him? She knew herself, that she was getting too attached to him, and she had thought to bring up the topic someday – and obviously he had too. Although, her intention was quite different to his. She had intended to ask him if he realized that the both of them were starting to become attracted to each other.

She was just that one step behind. Also, she wanted him to note all the rules and regulations about relationships between a shinigami and a human – it wasn't unprecedented of course, there were a few cases about shinigami and human love, though extremely rare.

The most recent one she had heard of was a former captain of the Gotei-13 marrying a human woman.

The results were disastrous – something about the wife dying, Byakuya had said, but did not elaborate any more. Of course, she had asked him to continue, but he simply walked away, in that usual huffed manner. She thought him say something about that 'idiot kid'.

Thus, after all these events, she had decided that the two of them (after she had confronted him with the issue of course) would have to compromise to make sure that they were not placed in any 'awkward' situations. She didn't want him hurt. Of course, Rukia had stopped denying that she liked the guy, but had kept telling herself that she could easily pull herself out of her emotions if need be. Things were fairly easy going here on earth, so she had decided to also take it easy with herself.

But it looked like he had beat her to the 'talk'.

She took a deep breath. _This _would be the painful part.

"I'm sorry Ichigo… Actually, I just…don't like you."

She hated lying. She looked down, not looking him in the eye. Because she knew what she would find there. Pain.

Even though she had zero experience in love, she wasn't dumb – she knew the boy had feelings for her as well. It was so obvious at times.

"I'll wait forever."

_Goddammit, Ichigo! Why do you have to make things so hard for me?_

"No…" she heard herself say. "Don't wait for me. At all." She tried to make her voice cold, just like that day when she had left him to go to Soul Society. Part of her wanted to believe that he wouldn't believe her, just like that time.

A pause.

"Ok," she heard him say softly, and felt his hand remove itself from hers. She resisted the urge to grab onto his hand, and keep it with her. She was only doing this so that he would be safe, she told herself. So he could be safe.

She bit her lip as an irritating silence passed between the two of them. She wished he would get angry. If he would get angry, then this awful silence could be broken, and maybe, just maybe, she could tell him everything, tell him that she was lying, tell him that she was only trying to protect him, and that she actually…liked him.

Instead, he stood up quietly.

Rukia squeezed her eyes shut, her cards forgotten on the floor.

"I have to go to the bathroom."

- - -

He washed his face, to wash away the warm dampness on his cheeks, whatever it was. As he looked in the mirror, he felt a slight spiritual pressure somewhere outside the house.

A hollow, and a weak one at that.

Using his substitute shinigami badge, he changed into his shinigami form. Rukia had probably sensed it by now, but he didn't really want to bother her. Actually, he didn't feel like talking to her at all. He wasn't mad…just very, very sad.

Well, what could he possibly do? All he could do now was just…no, he couldn't even wait for her. Right now…his life felt empty.

He shook his head. This wasn't the time to think about such thoughts now. He had to focus.

- - -

_Present time_

Rukia didn't make eye contact as she walked into the neat office. She first, turned directly around to close the door, and then, sat down on a chair. She then busied herself, straightening out her skirt.

"You can sit down, if you like."

"Funny," she replied.

She finally looked at him. Really looked at him. He had grown his hair out a fair bit longer, but it looked much more…fashionable, especially with the orange colour. He wore glasses now, but instead of making him look 'nerdy', it made him look intelligent.

"You look well," she heard him say.

"I was about to say the same thing," she smiled, and really meant it. She hadn't seen him in about a decade. She didn't know the details…but he had just disappeared – and at the worst time too – just after she had told him that she didn't like him. She wanted to blurt out everything – how was he going, how he was eating, and…did he have a partner?

"Uh…" Ichigo paused. He wanted to ask her so many things. Instead – "Do you want to go for a walk?"

- - -

Their conversation progressed, to say the least. They were sitting on a park bench, and had been talking for hours.

Ichigo had made up some excuse, and had skipped work for the rest of that day. Finally, Rukia decided that she better bring up _that _topic, after all, he had done so all those years ago.

"Ichigo…"

"What?"

His blunt reply made her smile. Just like the Ichigo she knew and…loved?

"I…want to apologize…"

God, she felt like the Rukia from ten years ago. Stupid, ignorant, and in love with this stupid boy, who didn't seem so stupid now, and certainly did not seem like a boy.

She had only realized that she loved him when he was gone. Gone, and out of her reach. All the more reason to tell him now.

"I want to apologize for what I did to you back then…"

She went on to explain. Explained everything, including the reason why she had rejected him.

"…and…"

Now, this…this was the hard part. Up until now she had been telling him that she _had _loved him, telling him that it was in the past. But now…

"I love you."

Simple, and to the point. Something she thought she would never do. Now, she reasoned, that he would have his revenge – stomp on her heart the way she did to him, disregarding his feelings. It hadn't made things any better when she learned that boys at that age were very sensitive when it came to their emotions.

Ichigo, up until now had been quietly sitting, listening to her story. She sat, and waited for his response.

She felt his hand cup her chin, and she was forced to look him in the eye. His sad eyes.

_Sad?_

"Rukia."

She shivered when he said her name, so softly and tenderly.

"I…I'm married. And I have two daughters."

She had thought that the pause from ten years ago had been the most awkward silence she would ever encounter with Ichigo. Apparently, she was wrong.

Ichigo let go of her chin.

"Sorry."

She opened her mouth to respond but no words came out. She tasted salt.

- - -

Ichigo cried that night. His wife tried to ask him what was wrong, but he just kept sobbing quietly.

Finally, his wife placed her arms around him and had said quietly, "Please…don't go anywhere."

A pause.

"I need you."

Then, she slept, and him soon after, curled up like a baby in her arms.

- - -

Sunlight streamed through the window, like every other day. Except…this time it was different, somehow. Like it was coming in from another side.

And the pillow felt different. The bed too. Somehow, he felt lighter. And the warmth next to him…that was his wife. Wasn't it?

She must have been worried, he thought. He had been crying last night, and hadn't explained to her at all.

Without opening his eyes, he spoke.

"Hey."

"Ichigo?"

The voice sounded…different. Somewhat surprised.

_Rukia?_

"Rukia?"

His eyes flew open remarkably fast for someone who had been in a coma. "What are you doing in my…bed?"

He was about to say house, but he then took a look around at the white room. This was not his house.

Rukia didn't answer – she just had this weird look on her face. As if she was about to burst out in tears, yet she looked happy.

He leaned back a little, though liking the feeling of her next to him. "What's with you?"

She also looked a bit different, he noticed. Hair a lot longer, her face a lot more mature. Did she suddenly grow up from when he had seen her last night? And why was he in this place anyway? He had a family to look after.

"Ichigo…you've been in a coma."

Tears streamed down her face.

"A coma?" he replied in disbelief. What the hell? Didn't he have a job, a car, and a family? Where were they?

She didn't say anything, but continued sobbing.

He finally asked the question that had been running around in his mind.

"How long?"

"One…hundred years."

- - -

**AN: **Bah, this is where I'm ending it. If it's too confusing then too bad. If you got it, well then that's great!

Basically, Ichigo felt sad after he was rejected, went out to fight a hollow, nearly got himself killed and was stuck in a coma for 100 years. During that coma he dreamed that he basically grew up normally, had a wife, kids, etc.

That time Rukia had talked to him, had triggered his recovery (i.e. the time she had talked to him while he was in a coma, telling him that she loved him – he had actually heard that, but in his comatose state, he had thought she had come to his office and had told him when they went on their walk to the park bench)

Anyway, whatever. Something new from me. Cya!

PS. I might put in a sequel. Most probably. Maybe. Might. There is stuff I could tie up.

Top of Form


	2. The Sequel Part I

**AN: **Wow. I didn't know how much impact this fic would have. Haha, honestly I was like, hm, I think this kinda sucks, and is hard to understand, but apparently 'everyone' understood it (no mention of my helpful explanation at the end or anything) hahah. Well, I'm glad. Here is the follow-up. Hopefully it's as satisfying as the first, but it probably won't be as confusing, maybe just some fluff, and an explanation of sorts.

WARNING: It's pretty damn sad. I cried while writing it (sort of).

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach

- - -

**Waiting: The Sequel (Part I)**

- - -

"_Dreams that do come true can be as unsettling as those that don't."_

_Brett Butler, 'Knee Deep in Paradise'_

- - -

"Mum!"

No answer.

"Mummy!"

Still no answer.

"Mum?"

The small girl, with straight orange hair turned towards her older sister. "Should we…?"

The older girl sighed. "Ok, ok, just open the door. They won't be doing anything."

The younger girl opened the door cautiously. It creaked, but she pushed on to reveal her sobbing mother, kneeling beside the bed.

Both girls rushed to the side of their mum. It was 9:21 am, way past the time when they should have been dropped off to school. Which is why they were wondering – why hadn't their dad left for work already, and why wasn't their mother doing her regular duties in the kitchen?

"Mum, what's wrong?"

"Your father…" It was all she could get out, before she broke out in sobs again. "He…he won't wake up."

- - -

They sat on a grassy slope, over looking a lonely dandelion-scattered field, one Ichigo hadn't seen before. Well, he probably had seen it before, but it had changed. Obviously it had changed, he thought. Damn. In a coma for a hundred years? Was that even possible? Heck, anything was possible – way back then he would have never thought that shinigami's existed, and look at him now.

Strangely enough, he didn't feel fatigued, or tired, as one might expect after being out cold for 100 years. But he didn't feel refreshed either. Oh sure, he felt great, physically – no injuries, and what not, but he felt just….normal. Too normal, he thought.

He turned to the girl – no, woman, beside him, wearing a happy smile. Before speaking he smiled to himself. Before, she used to go around with a saddened look that Ichigo hated.

This was what he liked to see from her. Her being happy.

"Can you explain again everything that happened?"

He knew, of course – as soon as Unohana had checked him for any side affects of sleeping for 100 years, Rukia had explained the story to him. She did all this hurriedly, as if she was afraid he would suddenly lie down and sleep for another 100 years.

Which is why he wanted to hear it from her again. Of course, he hadn't even been conscious in Soul Society for that long – he had only woken up that morning.

After all the hubbub and clatter over him regaining consciousness, especially Zaraki, as the other captains had to restrain him from attacking Ichigo.

Some people never changed.

Now, it was late afternoon, and Rukia had dragged him out of the room he had supposedly been in for a hundred years, and had lead him away to this place.

"Well…" she answered slowly at first. She leant back on the slope, closing her eyes with her hands behind her head. "You went off to kill a hollow."

A pause.

Ichigo took advantage of this, and spoke. "Yeah, I remember that."

Rukia turned to him. "You do?"

He nodded. "The only reason why I remembered is because it was after…" here he stopped, not wanting to continue.

Rukia knew what he was talking about, but didn't say anything. That could come later. Instead, she asked him about the hollow. "What do you remember about your fight with that hollow?"

Ichigo lay down beside her before answering. "I dunno. You told me that it nearly killed me. But, from what I remember, it got a good blow to the side of my head and I blacked out for a moment. Then I killed him," he finished bluntly, knowing that his explanation was certainly not correct.

"Hmm…"

A silence passed between them, each immersed in their own thoughts. A few minutes later they both turned to each other, mouths slightly ajar.

"Ah, you first," Rukia quickly said, blushing slightly.

"No, no, it's ok. You go."

Rukia opened her mouth to speak, wondering if she should tread on the taboo that she had set up for herself.

"Why…"

_Why did you lose to such a weak hollow?_

Sometimes, she just had to ask questions that she already knew the answer to.

"You know why."

And as usual, Ichigo already knew what she was going to ask. And also knew that she already knew the answer.

"I know..." She looked up to the rapidly darkening sky. "It's selfish of me, but…please forgive me."

"No."

Her lips quirked into a sad smile. She knew it already. She kept her eyes open, though they were brimming with tears.

"I won't forgive you if you don't like me."

She couldn't believe what she just heard. So much so, that she jerked up, some tears spilling from her eyes. "What?"

Ichigo looked her in the eye. "If you're telling me that… you still won't let me wait for you…then…I can't forgive that."

She sniffed. He had misunderstood. "Idiot," she said softly. She was asking for forgiveness – that she had rejected him all those years ago. Yet he thought that she was rejecting him anew.

"What?" he retorted crossly, his forehead creasing, a trait that Rukia had found she missed.

"Nothing," she replied, laughing.

"I kinda I miss that laugh," Ichigo said, surprisingly serious.

Rukia turned over, touched by his seriousness. "Hey, Ichigo."

When he didn't answer, she continued, her voice lowering. "I'm going to kiss you."

For some reason, she expected him to shift back angrily, or jump, or at least some sort of reaction, but he simply turned to face her. Of course. Even though he wasn't really conscious over the past hundred years, he still would have matured.

Rukia leaned in, as did Ichigo, though something was nagging him in the back of his mind. He shoved it away, as he kissed her. It was something important, to be sure, but he was certain it could wait till later.

- - -

He did remember what it had been, later that night. But it was in the form of a dream. They hadn't bothered going back to the 4th division. Instead, they slept on the grass, with Rukia curled up next to him. As he drifted off to sleep, he dimly felt her small hands clutching onto his clothes.

Smiling softly, he entered into the dream state.

It didn't feel like a real dream. Well, it was as if he _knew _that it wasn't reality. Only because it was as if he was floating above his own body, which was in a hospital bed. A woman and two girls sat next to the bed, and all of them were crying.

The smallest girl was clutching onto his shirt with one hand, and her other hand was rubbing her eyes.

He watched, as the woman gently, but firmly released the child's hold on his shirt, and then, they all walked out the door.

However, before the door closed, he heard the smallest child faintly say something.

"_Please come back, Daddy. I miss your cooking."_

Daddy?

- - -

His eyes snapped open and he jerked upright. Beside him, Rukia stirred, but didn't wake.

He squeezed his eyes shut. That…those people were his family. How could he forget? He had remembered the moment he had awoke from the coma, but in all the commotion, and happiness to see people again, he had forgotten.

And with Rukia, those thoughts seemed to fade away. Even now, when he thought of Rukia, those thoughts of that _other _place seemed to melt away.

_Why?_

And what the hell was that other place anyway?

- - -

Over the next few weeks, Rukia started to notice strange things. Well, they probably wouldn't be classified as strange to anyone else, but when applied to Ichigo…

For example, he knew how to cook. Well.

Back on earth, before he fell into a coma, his cooking skills were extremely limited. On occasion he had cooked her noodles, rice, and a few other base dishes, but that was about it.

Now, he prepared food that looked good, and tasted good. The whole of Soul Society was impressed as he provided new variety. And she noticed that Ichigo was more than happy to cook for them. As if he had changed somewhat.

More…fatherly?

She also noticed that at the first few dishes he had cooked (when he offered to cook for her) had been made in excess – too much for two people. It would have fit four perfectly.

Also, when he set their table the first few times, she noticed that he set it for four people. He then would realize his mistake, and put back two.

Other things as well, like he would take walks through Soul Society, as if looking for something. And he wouldn't invite her along. He also didn't invite her along to visits to Urahara, who had been reappointed 12th division captain, when the previous one had been killed in the war against Aizen.

Probably the thing that bugged her the most was that he wouldn't kiss her. Since she was never really the type to be forward (she was better at denying her feelings) she didn't press the topic, but thought about it. A lot.

As soon as she had got him back, it was like he was drifting away again.

Not now, she told herself. This time, she wouldn't let him get away.

- - -

In the end, she didn't end up confronting him. Rather, he beat her to it again, and in a very similar manner to a hundred or so years ago.

They played cards, one night.

They were staying at one of Byakuya's places, situated a little way from the main city. Of course, no one, not even Byakuya questioned them staying together. They slept in the same bed, as well, but nothing happened. Rukia didn't feel anything should happen. But she could wait. Heck, she had been waiting for him for a hundred years.

And, she wanted to get this weird phase of his over with. Because of it, she hadn't been able to properly confess her…feelings toward him, and this time she wanted to be the first to tell him.

When he grabbed her hand as she was about to take a card from his hand, that feeling of déjà vu arose. Her heart beat faster. Was he going to say the same thing he had said a hundred years ago?

No, this time was different. He took his time, looking at their hands together.

"Tonight… will you take a walk with me?" he asked quietly.

What kind of question was that? Freaking her out like that. She thought he was going to ask something perverted, starting off his question with 'tonight'.

She resisted the urge to call him an idiot, and simply nodded. If this kept up they wouldn't have much finished card games.

- - -

They stood in a narrow alley way in the 12th division. They hadn't talked on the way there.

Rukia broke the silence. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Ichigo looked up quickly, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. "Yeah."

"Are you going to force me to wait for you again?" she answered, her voice cool and controlled.

Ichigo looked away. "Sorry. I…when I was in my coma…I…I had a family."

It was her turn to look away. A moment ago she had been seething towards Ichigo, but how could she hate him when he pulled up a reason like that?

"Ichigo," she said, still not looking at him. "But they aren't re-"

"I know they aren't technically 'real'. I talked to Urahara" He paused here, as if trying to swallow back tears. "But he told me, that because I had been in a coma for so long, I had somehow constructed my own world, inside my head. And they are real there. Their emotions are real –"

"Whatever," Rukia interrupted rudely. She hated it how he always had the perfect reason. She hated it that his reason for going back into his comatose state was perfectly justified. She hated it when she couldn't fight back with reason. And she knew why he was going back. It was because he was so damn nice. He had to settle thing with people that weren't even real.

Yet that was what she liked about him. Under his rough exterior he was caring. She had noticed it from the first time she had commanded him to leave a soul to be attacked by a hollow.

Of course, he hadn't listened, and from that point on, she realized that he wasn't what he seemed.

"Rukia."

His voice brought her back to reality; where she was helpless. What else could she do but agree with him?

She didn't say anything for a few moments.

"I won't go if you don't let me."

There was silence for a moment, and then a soft sound as Rukia sank to the ground on her knees, tears finally falling out of her eyes.

"Just go," she whispered, trying to wipe the quickly falling tears. The ground seemed blurry as she felt him kneel down in front of her.

"I said, just go," she said again, her voice hoarse.

She felt him touch her cheek gently, and she nearly broke her resolve. She desperately wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him there forever, but she knew he was right.

Damn him for being right.

"Rukia…I'm…doing this for you."

The tears kept coming, and he continued speaking. "I love you…but I can't love you properly without… finishing this… business."

"Ichigo…"

She felt his arms gently guide her to his body, and he hugged her tightly, her small frame shaking from her soft sobbing.

"I'm going now."

She felt him stand up, and even though her body wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to stand. It was as if all energy had left her legs.

"Bye," she heard him say softly, and then: soft footfalls eventually fading away.

She took a deep breath, and yelled out his name. She knew she would probably wake the whole12th division, but she was beyond caring.

Compared to her shout, her next few words were small, and quiet, though he heard it.

"I love you."

- - -

"You sure you want to go?"

Ichigo looked up at the man he was still getting used to seeing in a captain's uniform. "Yeah."

"How long are you planning on going _there?_" The man better known as 'sandal-hat' said quietly, as he connected a few plugs and cables underneath the single bed.

Ichigo hesitated. "Until my family dies."

The other man's eyebrows rose. "You know they aren't real."

Ichigo closed his eyes. "That's what makes it harder for me to separate from them. They are in my head, and I'm being constantly reminded of them. I need to finish this."

The other man nodded, as if satisfied.

"Well, hurry on back, because I don't want a wailing girl for another hundred years."

Ichigo smiled ruefully. "I will. Please take care of Rukia."

"Gotcha."

- - -

**AN: **Ah, damn. Looks like there's going to be another chapter. Sorry! But it just got too long. Far out. So much for a one shot. But, I promise, the third chapter will definitely be the last. Now that I've said that I bet it won't be. Also, I noticed one other thing - The lines in the fanfiction editor work again! YEAH!

Anyway, you guys better be happy with this chapter. I spent a long time on it. I want lots of reviews. Hahaha.


	3. The Sequel Part II

**AN: **Hey. I immediately started writing the next chapter, because I don't want to miss out on the writer's flow. Yes, I made that up, but you know what I mean. Ok, this one is another chapter which requires you to think. So, put on your thinking caps and some tissues. This is really…really sad. More sad than the other chapters!!! And not only because its finished. I was going to put it under angst, but I don't think that its that kind of sadness. More like, sad like a love tragedy. Romeo and Juliet or something. Oh yeah, Hitomi, that review tripped me out. I promise he's still not in a coma!

Oh yeah. Spoilers in here, if you haven't read the manga. But, you'll get it.

EDIT: It's obvious I wrote this author's note before I wrote the story. You'll see why at the end.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach

- - -

**Waiting: The Sequel (Part II)**

**- - -**

"_Dreams are postcards from our subconscious, inner self to outer self, right brain trying to cross that moat to the left. Too often they come back unread: "return to sender, addressee unknown." That's a shame because it's a whole other world out there--or in here depending on your point of view."_

_Dennis Koenig and Jordan Budde, Northern Exposure, Roots, 1991_

- - -

"There's an intruder!"

"What? Who would be bold enough to break into –" the being never finished his sentence as he seemed to explode from the inside.

Upon seeing his companion die, the other man started to yell. "CALL THE SPIRIT –"

Again, the other being seemed to explode from the inside. But he got up on one arm, despite the blood pouring from his body. "Damn you. Who the hell are you?"

"You don't need to know."

"Damn you…You won't be able to kill him. He's guarded." The figure in front of him seemed unaffected.

"I don't care about that guy. I'm headed somewhere else."

The man on the floor tried to smile, but it hurt too much. "That place…is guarded too."

"I need something there," the figure said, and left.

- - -

"Hey."

Urahara didn't stop what he was doing. "What brings the great Kuchiki Byakuya to my humble abode?"

"It pains me, but you may have interest in this book I found in my family's ancient library."

At this, the captain of the 12th division turned around in his swivel chair. "Interest?"

"About that idiot."

Urahara took the book. He knew who 'idiot' was referring to.

"Kuchiki."

"What?" the other replied coldly.

"Why is there blood on your sleeve?"

Byakuya's eyes remained cold. "I can't see any."

"I can," replied Urahara, pointing towards a small dot that only _he _would notice.

"That's not blood," the sixth division captain replied abruptly, and swiftly turned around.

Byakuya left, and Urahara scratched his chin. Was it just his imagination, or did the other captain have a slight limp? He cast the thought away – there was no shinigami alive (or conscious) who could give _that _man a slight limp, or even a scratch that was probably the reason for the blood. Byakuya was ridiculously strong. Maybe it wasn't blood after all.

Urahara turned his attention to the large, leather bound book. He stared at the cover, not really reading the title. It had been a week, and Ichigo was still asleep. Well, he wasn't asleep, he was in a state very similar to that of a coma. In his previous meetings with Ichigo, Urahara, out of the _kindness _of his heart, invented a machine that could put a person in that sort of state.

When Unohana had heard of it, she was furious (and that was a sight to see) at Urahara – her patient for a hundred years was going to go back to the state he was at? That was an insult to her as a caregiver and a doctor.

Fortunately, Ichigo had stepped in, and Unohana backed down. She wasn't happy about it though.

The fact was, Urahara didn't know much about what Ichigo had experienced in his 100-year-coma. The way Ichigo had described it – it was as if it had torn out a piece of his mind, and his heart.

Oh, the fact that it had an impact on him, wasn't that big of a deal. People often experienced emotional dreams which had them crying when they woke up. It wasn't unheard of. What was unheard of was people being so deeply immersed in their dreams that it affected their real-life living. Granted, normal dreams only lasted for a few seconds (in real life-time) but was what Ichigo experiencing a 'normal' dream? It couldn't have been, as Ichigo had only skimmed over the issues of his friends on earth: they all had died, and he didn't seem too worried, proving the massive mental shock that he had got from his 'dream'.

The word 'dream' was simply the easiest way to explain it, but Urahara had told Ichigo that it was probably a large manufactured fragment of his imagination – after all, the imagination was the most powerful tool of the human body.

_That _was what he had told Ichigo. What he hadn't told Ichigo was that even a manufactured fragment of his imagination shouldn't have had that large an impact. And if he was in a coma, he _shouldn't _have remembered anything.

A coma was a state where the patient had acute brain failure. Not much was known about the comatose state, but it was assumed that to get out of it, the brain needed to _restart_ itself, which probably meant wiping every action it had done while in the coma state. That meant, that even though he, Ichigo, could possibly conjure up an alternate world while in the coma, coming back from the coma, it should have been impossible to remember anything.

Urahara hadn't told any of this to Ichigo, rather, he just played along with the story that Ichigo had conjured up these images and people in his brain. One other reason that he did that was to research more about the comatose state – after all, he was Urahara – mysterious and doing things for his own well-being.

Urahara sighed. It was almost time to remove the cords that he had connected into Ichigo's brain, as by now, the body would have been self-sustaining, other than necessities such as food and water. He would have to be moved back into the 4th division. But now, Rukia was sitting in that little room in the 12th division, not saying anything, not talking to anyone.

Which was why, Byakuya had said the word 'idiot' so harshly. Everything Ichigo did affected Rukia. After coming back to her after a hundred years, staying with her a few weeks, and then leaving again – it was just too much for her. Before, when he was in his comatose state, she told everyone that her reason for staying with him was that it was her fault that he was in that state. She didn't elaborate, but Urahara and several others knew.

The only way Ichigo would lose to such a weak hollow was if his mind was somewhere else; his concentration amounting to nothing. Either the two had fought just before, or, more likely, Ichigo had confessed his feelings to Rukia, and she had rejected him.

Urahara sighed again. After Ichigo's near-death, Rukia had single-handedly wiped out the rule concerning relationships between humans and shinigami. An impressive feat, to be sure, but Urahara thought that the rule was probably abolished under the basis that there wasn't much interactions between shinigami and humans anyway. It wasn't as if half the population of shinigami's would go down to earth and grab themselves a wife or a husband. Besides, most shinigami nowadays thought themselves to be much higher than the 'lowly' humans.

He rubbed his temples. He was too old for this type of thinking.

Brushing some stray dust that had gathered on the cover, he read the title out aloud.

"_The Death of a Shinigami_"

What an exciting title, Urahara thought sarcastically, and looked towards the bottom of the book to find the author's name.

"_Keito Haru, vice-captain, 1st division, 100AD_." (1)

Urahara's eyes grew wide. There was something about that name, but he couldn't place it right now. It was a pretty old book, he thought, before opening it.

- - -

"How are you feeling, Mr. Kurosaki?"

"Uh…" Ichigo waited a while before answering. "Fine, really. When do I get to go home?"

The nurse placed the clipboard down on the table. "Today, I think. We'll just need to do one final checkup, and you're free." She smiled. "I bet you can't wait to live with your family again."

"Yeah. They took it pretty badly."

The hospital door opened, and there stood a doctor, dressed in a white coat. "Ah, Mr. Kurosaki, ready to leave already?"

Ichigo nodded. It was as if he hadn't seen his family for years, when, in reality he hadn't seen them for only a few days. Well, they had seen him of course, but he hadn't seen them, due to his coma.

"Well, we've identified a possible cause for your coma. It hasn't happened before, but we think it's due to overworking. You are very healthy for your age, so I suggest you take it easy for now. Go take a holiday or something. Bring your family along."

Ichigo nodded again. That would probably be a good thing.

- - -

"Kisuke!"

Urahara moaned. He hadn't slept all night, because he was reading that book. Plus, he couldn't stop thinking about the contents of the book. What if –

"Kisuke!"

"What?" he replied sleepily.

"Dammit Kisuke, come here! Something big is going on."

Urahara opened his eyes. So, that spirit power he had felt a moment ago wasn't just his imagination.

"Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming."

- - -

Byakuya grimaced as he went to answer the knock on the door. He hadn't slept well that night. Outside stood the 5th division captain, Abarai Renji. He had easily taken the position after the war against Aizen.

"Yo."

Byakuya frowned. "What do you want, Renji?"

"Oh nothing," the other replied flippantly. "Just wanted to see how you're going."

"I'm going fine thanks," Byakuya replied in his cold manner. "If that is all, then please leave." He didn't feel like talking at the moment.

"Are you sure?"

"Since when did you question me, Renji?"

"There's blood on your garment, _captain_," Renji replied coolly. "What the hell have you been up to?"

Byakuya looked down. Indeed, the wound had opened again.

"Nothing big," he said, without batting an eyelash.

"Nothing big?" Renji repeated, indecorously. "So it isn't anything big that there are some weird masked guys in white cloaks in the main meeting area of the Court of Pure Souls demanding the shinigami there to tell them the whereabouts of Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Byakuya said nothing, and turned around to grab his zanpakto.

"What? Are you planning to fight them?" came Renji's voice from the doorway. They're ridiculously strong – they already took out some pretty strong shinigami."

No answer.

"Probably right about now, they are going to meet with Yamamoto-taichou since no one else is telling them where you live."

"I'm going to fight them," was the cool response.

"What the hell's with that attitude?" came the angry reply. "You always go off and do anything you want –"

"Coming, Renji?"

The fifth division captain's face twisted into a sly grin. "Hell, yeah."

- - -

"I see."

The atmosphere was heavy. Yamamoto surveyed the thirteen men in front of him. He knew what they were. An assassination and execution squad. But no ordinary assassination squad. Their strength was limitless, only because they were sent directly from…

"We do not have much time," the leader of the squad interrupted his thoughts.

"Sorry. I shall lead you to the place."

- - -

"What is the meaning of this, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Byakuya stood up slowly from the veranda chair. "Good morning, Yamamoto-taichou."

The old man leaned heavily on his walking stick. "These men are from the Spirit King's realm (2)." He paused before continuing. "Everyone," he said loudly, addressing the crowd of shinigami that had gathered. Whatever you do, do not get in the way of these men. This is a direct order." The crowd moved back slightly.

The old man turned to Renji. "You – didn't you hear my order?"

"I heard," came the reply.

Yamamoto sighed. "You never really were a captain, Abarai."

Renji's lips tightened angrily, but he didn't say anything, as Byakuya held up his hand.

Yamamoto continued. "You were always _his _vice-captain."

Renji bowed his head. "Thank-you, Yamamoto-dono."

"One last thing, Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Yes?"

"What should I tell Rukia?"

"Tell her I went on a holiday."

"Understood." The old man turned around, and walked through the white cloaked men. "You may address the suspect."

- - -

Urahara and Yoruichi arrived just in time to hear someone speaking.

"…are accused of breaking and entering into the Spirit King's realm. You are also accused of killing seven of the royal guard (2), and stealing the book, _The Death of a Shinigami_, written by _Keito Haru, vice-captain, 1st division _in _100AD_."

Urahara closed his eyes. So it was true. That book wasn't from the Kuchiki's ancient library after all. And now that they had said Keito Haru's name so clearly like that he finally remembered what had been in the back of his mind ever since he started reading the book. Keito Haru was the famous vice-captain who disappeared without a trace after publishing this book.

So, Urahara mused, this is what happened to him.

"…your crimes, you are to be executed, and the book, _The Death of a Shinigami_ must be recovered. If you do not resist, we will allow you to be executed by the general procedures carried out here in the Court of Pure Souls. If you do resist, you will be killed immediately. Any shinigami supporting you will also be treated as a threat and killed immediately."

The leader rolled up the scroll he was using to read from. "Any last words?"

- - -

Yoruichi watched from the crowd. "Don't you dare jump in Kisuke," she hissed quietly.

When she didn't hear any answer, she turned to the space next to her where he was standing. Was.

"Kisuke?"

_Where the hell…_

- - -

Byakuya slowly moved closer to the group. "All of 6th division," he began, and the white cloaks gripped their swords. "Do not interfere. Renji," he continued. "Do as I say, and do not resist these men."

"Hell no."

Byakuya nodded, as if expecting this answer. "Then, kill as many as you can."

"Yes, sir."

Over the next few seconds a cloud of dust and blood arose.

- - -

Ichigo stretched in the car seat. His wife had been driving, and they had just got back home. He stepped outside.

"It's a nice day today," he said to no one in particular.

He climbed the steps to the front door where his wife had already entered. He turned around, taking one last look at the quiet neighbourhood in the setting sun. A lone figure walked, no, glided across the footpath slowly. He was poorly dressed, but one thing stuck out about the man.

Ichigo didn't have time to think about it, as his youngest daughter had just launched herself at him.

"Daddy!"

He picked her up, and swung her around in his arms. "I'm home."

"Welcome back," she said, sobbing. "I really missed you."

"I know. Sorry. I won't go again."

He entered the house, turning his head around one last time, but the disturbingly familiar man was gone.

- - -

"Hey," Ichigo said softly to his wife. "Are you sleeping?"

"No," she replied.

"Do you know if any guys wear the kenseiken(3) nowadays?"

"What kind of question is that?"

Ichigo laughed softly. "Sorry, I just saw some guy wearing it today."

His wife looked at him blankly. "Then he's gay."

Ichigo laughed again and closed his eyes. "Yeah. Must have been my imagination."

- - -

**AN: **Great! Just great! (in a bad way) I can't even finish this story this chapter. Sorry! Definitely next chapter. I promise. Give me reviews!

(1) This was the same guy who said the quote that I put in the first chapter (check it out).

(2) "The Spirit King: Manages the balance between Soul Society and Human World. Manages Rukongai and Seireitei with the aid of the Shinigami and the Council of 46 through an inner realm of Soul Society outside of Seireitei and Rukongai's physical existence. Protected by the Royal Guard."

Took this definition from some forum. Thanks! Credit goes to original poster.

(3) Kenseiken (sp?) – Those weird hair-curlers Byakuya wears in his hair.


	4. The Sequel Part III

**AN: **Sorry for taking a bit long to update. I had written this chapter a long time ago, but I just wanted enough reviews to get a general look at what people were thinking about the story. Well, that's what I should have been wanting reviews for. Haha, yeah, I'm greedy. Sorry. Here's the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach

- - -

**Waiting: The Sequel (Part III)**

**- - -**

"_In forming a bridge between body and mind, dreams may be used as a springboard from which man can leap to new realms of experience lying outside his normal state of consciousness."_

_Ann Faraday_

- - -

Rukia wiped her tears away for the nth time. It was getting quite tiring, that action. It had been two weeks already, and she had barely eaten. They were still in the 12th division, and Urahara had come in a while ago to tell her that they were going to move them to the 4th division soon.

If she was her normal self, she would have wondered why Byakuya or Renji hadn't come to visit. But she was, right now, an emotional wreck. She loved Ichigo so much that she even cast thoughts of them away. She would just wait. Until _he_ came back.

- - -

Urahara rubbed his temples. He was standing in a small grassy area with Yoruichi standing in front of him, arms crossed.

"Tell me everything, Kisuke." With this tone, she thought, he was sure to tell her.

"No."

Forcing herself to act and respond calmly, she breathed deeply. "Why not?"

Urahara reached within his captain's cloak, and pulled out a large, leather-bound book. "See this book?"

"Yeah?"

"It's called _The Death of a Shinigami_. I want you to live, so I won't tell you anymore."

"The Death of a…I've heard that title somewhere before."

Urahara turned around, his cloak flapping quietly in the wind. "I won't permit you to die yet."

"Wait."

Urahara stopped walking, but did not turn around. "I merely got a similar book, and applied a duplication technique to it. I put it in his bedroom when they were fighting. But they'll find out soon."

"But why didn't you just give it back? Or put the original book in his bedroom?" Her voice was rising, but she wasn't angry. It sounded more desperate, like a plea.

"They would know who else had read it, other than Byakuya."

"Do you know when they'll come?" That desperate voice again.

"I can't tell you that. But they'll come differently to last time."

A pause.

"I guess this is goodbye." Her voice had changed to something more hopeless.

"Yeah."

Urahara started walking away again.

"Why?"

"Because that guy…he deserves to live. I've…I've past my time already. He still has a lot of life left in him."

- - -

"Kuchiki Rukia."

Rukia jumped from her seat. She hadn't noticed anyone come in. Her eyes widened as she saw who had come in.

"Ya…Yamamoto-taichou!"

"May I sit down?" the old man asked, leaning heavily on his walking stick.

"Uh…yes, yes, take mine, please."

The old man gratefully sat down, and waited a while before speaking.

"Your older brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, has told me to inform you that he has gone on a holiday."

"Nii-sama?"

The old man nodded. "Abarai Renji has also gone with him."

"Oh…I see," Rukia replied. Usually, she would ask questions such as where were they going, why they were on a holiday, and why did Renji go with him, but now she stayed quiet.

Yamamoto nodded to himself. Byakuya was right in his judgement. He did not want to stress Rukia with his death, and knowing the state she was in right now, he simply made it easier for her to take. Eventually, she would find out, but hopefully it would be when she was mentally stronger.

"Well, I have duties I must attend to. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," replied Rukia softly, not once questioning why Byakuya had sent the 1st division captain to tell her that he was going on a holiday. When he went anywhere, he didn't tell anyone. But with her emotional state she simply turned her mind towards Ichigo.

- - -

Ichigo sped towards the airport. They were going on a family holiday, just as the doctor had suggested. Ichigo had chosen Hawaii. The kids were excited, as they got to take a break from school.

"Honey, don't speed," his wife scolded him.

"No, go faster!" came the chorus of voices from the backseat, which earned a heavy stare from their mother.

"Sorry, sorry," Ichigo apologized, slowing down. This action produced rather loud yells and obscenities from the person behind them.

A man on a motorbike sped past, still yelling and screaming until he had overtaken them. He wore his hair in a long, red, ponytail.

"Ren –"

"I'm proud of you." His wife interrupted his sentence. "When we went on our first date, you used to yell right back at them. Did you know kids? When your dad…"

Ichigo continued driving. What name was he about to say? He frowned, thinking harder. It annoyed him, because he still hadn't figured out who that person was he had seen a few days ago, walking along the street.

- - -

On the same night they had moved Ichigo's bed, Urahara met Yamamoto as he came back from his conversation with Yoruichi.

They exchanged a few words of greeting, but before Yamamoto left, he said quietly, "I want to talk to you, before _they _come back."

Which was why, now, two days later, Urahara was sitting in the 1st division's captain's office.

The old man sighed before speaking. "The situation on earth and Hueco Muendo is stable. You chose the best time."

Urahara nodded gravely.

"Can you tell me what's in the book?"

"Only briefly, or they'll kill you too."

"I don't…" The old man paused. "I don't expect to live much longer anyway."

"The book…" Urahara started off slowly, not wanting to rush in. "The book basically is a first person recount of the man named Keito Haru. He tells of how he was in a coma for apparently ten years. The longest time a person has been in a comatose state here in Soul Society, other than, of course, Ichigo."

The old man nodded, signaling him to continue.

"In this book, he recounts fragments of memories that he claims to have had during this 10 year coma period. He tells of another world, almost exactly like the one he was living in at that time, except there were _no _shinigami." Urahara paused for emphasis.

"So you're saying, that the world Ichigo had been dreaming about wasn't actually in his head?"

"According to this book, yeah. He went into another dimension."

"Hm…" the old man mused. "The question is – why did the spirit king ban this book and wipe it from existence?"

Urahara hesitated. "I think what Keito Haru touched on, was the _real _cycle of life; forbidden knowledge to anyone other than the spirit king."

"The _real_ cycle of life?" The old man raised an eyebrow. "I think that's all I need to know Urahara."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"No…" the old man paused. "I do, but I am too old for this. I would much rather die in peace, than at the hands of the Spirit King."

Urahara nodded, flashing that eerie smile that he was famous for. "I'll be going now." He turned the doorknob.

"Oh, Urahara, will you be taking Yoruichi with you as well?"

Urahara looked down. "I…She will come…" He exited, leaving the old man alone at the desk.

The old man quietly bent down, and picked up a black cat, that was lying at his feet, and set it on the desk.

"Happy now?"

- - -

Urahara sat at his own desk, his hands in his hair. He wasn't afraid to die, but after reading that book, it was as if something had changed inside of him. His outlook on life.

In the book, _The Death of a Shinigami_, though the experiences of the other world were interesting, what was more thought grinding was the second half of the book, in which the writer had written a detailed theory of what the other world actually _was._

Keito Haru, had hypothesized that the other world was actually another dimension where shinigami's were sent when they died. A normal shinigami's experience of life and death was that, a human was born into the world, they died, and became a soul, and that soul was brought to Soul Society, where they awaited reincarnation as a human. Unless of course, that soul became a shinigami.

But what happened when a shinigami was killed? Or when a hollow was obliterated, when hit by a Quincy? There were others that had asked this question, and the general theory was that they were turned into nothingness. Their being was wiped off every known plane of existence.

But this would mean that eventually, the balance of the three worlds would tip, which would spell absolute disaster for all beings: hollows, humans, and shinigami.

Keito Haru claimed that when a spiritual being was killed (such as a hollow, or a shinigami) they were sent to this 'other' dimension, and to balance the worlds, sometimes, they were taken out and reincarnated.

But who had enough power to reach into this other dimension and retrieve souls, who had basically been wiped out? Of course, the manager of all souls in existence – the Spirit King.

Urahara closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. However, it was general knowledge the Spirit King's power only held as far as the three worlds could reach, which would mean…_another _power, greater than the Spirit King. It was as if, the Spirit king was _only _the manager of souls, but who was the creator?

Urahara flipped to end of the book, and read the last few paragraphs.

_And by this, I have come to believe, that, there is another power, much higher than the Spirit King himself; perhaps there exists a God. We, as shinigami, have never questioned the creation of souls, we have simply taken it for granted that Soul Society is where souls reside, and earth is where they gain material existence._

_I believe that the higher power, or 'God', has created these souls, as everything has to come from something. This other place, may be the place where God keeps these souls until the balance of the three worlds is tipped. This is when he steps in with these 'new' souls to counteract the change in balance. Perhaps this is why the balance of the three worlds stays intact most of the time – due to some discreet intervention – that which humans call an 'act of God'._

_In conclusion, I would like to state that this other place may be 'God's domain', the opposite of Hell. We shinigami have known hell exists, so there must be a counterbalance to that world. I assume God himself knows that there must be some souls that are naturally corrupt and evil, so he must destroy them. These souls in 'God's domain' would be used to replace these 'evil' souls, and this is how the cycle of life is. _

_The Spirit King may be merely a 'manager' of the souls that God himself has created, therefore undermining his authority that we shinigami have been held in awe of for so long._

Urahara shut the book quietly. That was why the Spirit King desperately wanted the book to be banned. It contained forbidden knowledge – if all of Soul Society knew of this, chaos would arise, both with the shinigami, and the normal souls. There would be civil war, and people questioning their beliefs. It would lead to havoc in the real world, and changes in traditional systems that held the three worlds together.

He shivered.

"Yoruichi, how long have you been here?" he didn't turn around.

"I knew I was going to come with you, so I thought I might as well know what I'm fighting to defend."

Urahara massaged his temples. "We aren't defending it. We are giving it back."

"They'll kill us anyway."

"I know."

"Are you going to fight?"

"Yes."

"If you are giving it back, then why are you fighting?"

Urahara turned around to face her, his face serious.

"Because yesterday, I put Rukia into a coma."

- - -

Ichigo leaned back, as one of his daughters asked him a question.

"How long are we going to be on the plane?"

"Um…It'll be a long time."

"What's a long time though?"

"Um…long."

"Mum!" the younger girl wailed.

"What your dad is trying to say, is that you should sleep, because it's an overnight flight."

"Oh…okay."

Ichigo's wife glared at her husband, who merely offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry?"

She shook her head, trying to hide the smile that came to her face. It went away as soon as she started thinking. He really hadn't gone back to normal after the short coma. If he hadn't been in a coma, she would have thought he was having an affair with some other woman, due to his uneasiness and his weird habits – like saying that he recognized certain random people.

She really hoped that this holiday would do some good to his mental state. She was worried about him.

"Honey?" she said softly.

"Mm?" he replied.

"I love you."

"Yeah…I, uh…love you too."

- - -

Yamamoto stroked his beard – it didn't help him think, but it was something he did secretly to make him feel wise. Not that he didn't look wise enough already.

He pulled out his front drawer, taking out a small thick book. If you wanted to hide something, make it appear to be unimportant, he always told himself.

"So," he said quietly to no one in particular. "What _he _wrote was true."

He tapped on the floor a few times, knowing that his trusty vice-captain, Sasakibe Chojiro, would come soon. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the door to his quarters opened. "You called, Yamamoto-taichou?"

The old man nodded. "I am going to go on a holiday. Can you be in charge here?"

The vice-captain hesitated. "If it is possible, I would like to accompany you."

"I shall put Hitsugaya-taichou in charge then," the other man said before getting up. "But are you ready to die? Me, I am getting old –"

"We both know I have lived longer than you, though it may not look like it." The mysterious vice-captain interrupted. "Besides, it will be nice to visit _God's Domain _once again. _She _will be waiting for me there."

The old man nodded again. "That's correct. You have lived longer than me, _Keito Haru_."

- - -

**AN: **Honestly, never again am I going to say that I am going to finish on 'this chapter'. Never. It just keeps going. Sorry guys, for writing another stupidly long piece. But hopefully (no promises here) the next chapter will be the end. Dammit. This one shot has just multiplied. Hopefully you 'get' everything that's going on. Tell me in your review if you absolutely have no idea. I'll try to explain a bit.


	5. The Sequel Part IV

**AN: **Here it is, the last – oh yeah…I wasn't going to say that stuff anymore. Well, hopefully it's the last one because I'm tired of writing.. I really do not believe that my small oneshot escalated into something this big. Ridiculous, I tell you, ridiculous.  
Oh, in your reviews, could you please let me know if you read the quotes at the start? Just an interest thing – you know, who actually skips straight to the story.

PS. The reason why these author's notes have been seemingly out of date, and irrelevant (eg. Me saying every chapter that the next one is going to be the end) is because I wrote this all a long time ago…haha, I was just trying to fulfill this formula: _**N **_equals20_**n**_ (see my profile for details).

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach

- - -

**Waiting: The Sequel (Part IV)**

**- - -**

_What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story,  
And the greatest good is little enough:  
for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams._

_Pedro Calderon de la Barca, Life is a Dream_

- - -

Yoruichi had never been scared. Well, not properly scared, anyway. Maybe when she when she was small, _very _small, mind you, but she had so many brushes with death that she didn't have the emotion called fear. True, she had her surprises, but nothing she could truly call 'fear'.

However, when Urahara had told her he was going to die, she felt that old emotion, the one she thought she would never feel again. She was scared. Scared out of her mind.

They had been together for centuries – how could he leave her. And now, that he had let her come along, for some reason, the fear hadn't left her. It had minimized, but she still felt it, like a dark stain on a white shirt, hovering in the back of her mind.

When she had fought Aizen's gang, she had felt their powers to be strong, but she knew that she could match them. However, the fight between the white cloaks and Renji and Byakuya hadn't been a fight at all.

A slaughter, one could possibly call it. True, it was thirteen against two, but these were two captains of Soul Society. And true, Byakuya was injured when he fought them, but Yoruichi couldn't fight the feeling that even if he wasn't injured, the outcome of the battle would probably only be slightly different.

The white cloaks had lost one member after Renji had gone into bankai mode, but that was the end of their losses. Byakuya didn't even have enough time to activate his bankai before he and Renji were killed within a minute.

They searched Byakuya's residence with terrifying speed, and soon left with the book, _The Death of a Shinigami._

Of course, it wasn't _The Death of a Shinigami_ at all.

And that was precisely why, Urahara was in his work room now, pushing buttons and turning switches. They had transferred Ichigo and Rukia back into the 12th division, and Urahara was setting a barrier around the two so that they would be safe.

'Safe from what?' Yoruichi had asked while they were moving the two.

The answer was simple. The white cloaks.

- - -

"And so, Hitsugaya-taichou, you shall be in charge, along with your vice-captain, as I am going to take care of some business."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "Business?"

A hundred years had done good to the impulse-driven, hormone-lacking genius. He was now taller, taller than Matsumoto, and his face had become more angular, as if he was growing into a man. It was about time, anyway.

It wasn't only his looks that had matured. He still kept the same childish hairstyle, but his judgment had improved immensely. His leadership skills had obviously grown, as he had taken care of two divisions before they gained their own captains.

And he was strong. Much more powerful. As if his potential was limitless, he continued to grow in spiritual power and strength every day.

He was a leader.

Good enough to lead the whole Gotei-13.

"Yes, I…have some unfinished business to attend to. If anything happens to me while I'm gone, then you shall take charge. Is that clear?"

Hitsugaya nodded, and then shivered, and not because of the cold wind that had seemed to have made its way through the long hallways and into the old man's chambers.

Every time the old man had went off to some mission, he had left Hitsugaya in charge. It was nothing new, him stating that he _might _die doing whatever he was doing – the old man said it all the time. It was just a traditional precaution.

He never did die. Never.

Every time, the old man came back, and Hitsugaya stepped back into his original position.

Then why was the cold genius shivering?

- - -

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be arriving at Hawaii International Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts for landing."

Ichigo turned around to see his two daughters sleeping. Their seatbelts were done up tightly, so he turned his attention to his own belt, that had somehow gotten loose in the flight.

He moved slowly, so as to not wake his wife, who was sleeping on his shoulder. Despite his attempts to move slowly, she did wake up.

"Ichigo…?" she said drowsily, not moving from her position.

"Yeah?" he answered softly, as some other passengers were still sleeping.

"Are we landing now?"

"Soon," he replied.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The time in Hawaii is 5:32AM. We should arrive at the airport at 5:45AM. The skies are clear, and the weather is forecasted to be sunny, and fine. Thank you for traveling with us. We will now begin our descent."

"Another nice day," Ichigo stated blankly, looking out the window.

His wife looked worriedly at him. She had thought that maybe the nice weather would do something about his stressful condition, but instead he merely commented dryly on the weather, as if it was something that dragged on; as if he didn't want to be there.

That thought scared her, and it brought to mind the night before she had found him in a coma. He was crying, and, come to think of it, he never told her the reason.

She turned to ask him, but the plane veered sharply, causing her to quickly fasten her seatbelt. She forgot about it. For now.

- - -

Urahara sighed. It was a sign of old age, sighing. Though he knew he wasn't _as _old as some of the shinigami here in Soul Society. Rukia and her pleading had forced him to comply to her wishes. Her wish was simple.

"Put me in a coma," she had demanded.

It wasn't really her pleading that made him do it. Day after day he watched her. She was dying inside, as if her body had just become a container for a suffocating soul. When she had asked him, he thought he detected something akin to hope in her eyes, and he couldn't refuse.

She had read the book, of course. Not all of it, since Urahara had picked out the parts that were relevant to her. It was his mistake – if he hadn't had shown her the book, she wouldn't have had asked to be put into a coma.

But he couldn't bear to see her die. Over the years, she had become somewhat like a daughter to him. It was probably because she was the only shinigami that saw him regularly on earth – and she didn't discriminate against him because he had been banished by Soul Society. She didn't hate him, either, for planting that stone that Aizen wanted inside of her.

He felt like he owed her something. And since it was painfully obvious (though she took a while noticing it) that she loved the orange-haired kid, he decided to help out. And help out properly, for once.

She had grasped the concept of the other dimension quickly, and Urahara had explained to her what she had to do.

Earlier in the book, Keito Haru had put forward a reason of why he was able to escape _God's Domain_, or, in other words, come out of his coma.

Keito Haru, vice-captain of the first division in 100AD, had a wife. She stayed by his side, for most of the ten years that he was in the coma, and towards the end of the ten years, people encouraged her to live her life – not become stagnant beside her nearly-dead husband.

At first, she had resisted, but finally she relented, going on small missions just to please her friends.

It was the wrong move. Her concentration was poor, and the group she was with was unfortunate enough to encounter a rather strong hollow. The group was killed, her included.

A day later, Keito Haru woke up.

His last entry of experiences in _God's Domain _contained a story about a woman, who looked distinctly like his wife. He said he had run after the woman, finally catching up to her. Upon talking with her, she said a name, a name Keito Haru had never heard before.

Haru apologized profusely, but before he left, he quietly said something about her looking like someone he had loved long ago.

As he left, he said his wife's name.

_And as I went to my house, I sat down on the couch and cried, and cried, for that woman was in every aspect, identical to my wife._

_The next morning, I woke up – I woke up properly. It was then I found out I was in a coma for ten years, and that my precious wife had been killed the day before._

Urahara had explained to Rukia, that if she could somehow find Ichigo in _God's Domain_, and make him remember his _real _life, then he would regain consciousness.

She had taken this rather seriously, but of course she agreed. Before he had connected the last plug, she had told him that she had seen Ichigo in that place – _God's Domain_.

She had fallen asleep with him, but this night she was particularly lonely. That night marked the hundredth year that Ichigo had been in a coma. She had dreamed that she met Ichigo, and that he was a successful business man. She had talked to him, told him that she loved him, and cried when he told her he had a wife. She hadn't forgotten about this experience, it was merely pushed to the back of her mind, because she didn't like to remember the feeling that she had when Ichigo had told her that he was married.

Now it made sense. She just had to find him again. Urahara had told her that it was probably just luck she had met Ichigo the first time in _God's Domain_.

Since Keito Haru had described _God's Domain_ as a similar world to theirs, the chances of finding him were slim; the world was huge.

She responded with a defiant: 'I know I can find him.'

And then she fell into a deep, deep sleep.

- - -

Yoruichi stood outside Urahara's work place, where she could still hear him tinkering inside. He was making sure that this operation would not fail.

Soon, he had said.

Soon the whitecloaks would find out that the book they had obtained was fake, and they would be back. Urahara knew that they would now be armed with new information – they knew that he was the one who had applied the duplication spell, and they would certainly kill him. But they would now know what he was doing – his machine, which placed people in a coma would be considered illegal in the eyes of the Spirit King, as it provided shinigami access into _God's Domain_.

The machine would be destroyed, and so would any _users _of the machine. There could not be another leak of information about _God's Domain_. If the users of the machine were to wake up, they would tell what they had seen and heard, and chaos would arise in Soul Society.

That was not allowed to happen.

In his years of fighting and battle, Urahara had learned one important thing: to think like the enemy would give you the best advantage in a war.

However, with the strength of the whitecloaks, they didn't need any strategy. But since they needed to eliminate a fair amount of shinigami – and without any apparent reason, Urahara predicted they would come at night, swift and silent.

With Byakuya, they had evidence that he had infiltrated the Spirit King's realm, and so it was appropriate to execute him publicly.

However, if they marched in and said something about a duplicate book, the whole Gotei-13 would be in an uprising. Who the hell cared about a stupid old book anyway. It would lead to a bloody war that Urahara did not want. There were enough shinigami who were already maddened about the death of Renji and Byakuya.

And even though the whitecloaks were strong, it would be hard to stand in front of an angry, rampaging Gotei-13.

So they would come with darkness.

He flipped the switch on the wall, and the lights went out. At the same time, the floor underneath the bed where Ichigo and Rukia were lying slowly started to descend. A soft rumbling was heard, but Urahara ignored it and walked out the door.

- - -

"What!"

The man looked at the woman in front of him. She was red-faced, and obviously very angry.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but he had just recovered from a serious comatose condition, and the doctor recommended he take a holiday."

The woman in front of him took a deep breath.

"Where did he go?" she asked, this time calmly.

- - -

"You know you won't get away this time, Keito Haru."

"Please, Yamamoto-taichou. No one has called me by that name for centuries. But of course I know," the other man replied. "The other time," he continued, "was just a stroke of good fortune and luck."

The first division captain stood up, and shut the open drawer containing a copy of _The Death of a Shinigami_, locking it with a _click_. "The Spirit King doesn't know about this copy, correct?"

The vice-captain nodded. "I wrote it after all other copies were confiscated."

"We'll leave as soon as I give the key to Hitsugaya."

- - -

"Good evening."

Yoruichi looked to her partner, friend, and relative.

"Don't try to act gentlemanly," she said, though her smile betrayed her harsh words.

Urahara tried to look hurt. "I was being…friendly," he said, flashing that eerie smile.

"Yeah, right." Yoruichi looked away. She would miss these friendly banters. "How are the kids?"

Urahara spluttered. "Don't ask it _that _way."

"You know what I mean," she replied dryly.

"Oh…" His face turned serious. "They should be fine. Of course I put up the highest barrier spell available. If that doesn't stop them, I also put up an electro-physical barrier."

He looked up at the stars.

A coma involved severe head injury, and his machine merely simulated that, albeit much slower, in order for the patient not to have side effects. That meant, it took about a week before the patient could be unplugged from the machine. So, in that week's time, if it was unplugged, the patient would suffer severe brain hemorrhage, which would most likely lead to death.

In Ichigo's case, Urahara had been able to remove the machine since his brain was still recovering from his previous coma – meaning it was easier to simulate the acute brain failure.

However, with Rukia, she had never been in a coma, and as of now, hadn't been in a coma for very long, hence she was still plugged into the machine. If the machine was left plugged in after the week period, it was not dangerous to the patient.

"They should be fine," he said, as if trying to reassure himself. He wasn't reassured at all.

"It seems like we are just on time. Did you move the entire 12th squadron?" a voice belonging to Yamamoto asked from behind him.

Urahara nodded. "Yes. They didn't like it though." If he was surprised from the captain and the vice-captain of the first division's sudden appearance, he didn't show it.

"It doesn't matter," replied the old man. "They need not to understand."

Urahara drew in a deep breath and the old man unsheathed his cane.

"They're coming," Yoruichi hissed.

"I'll miss this night sky," Urahara said to himself.

- - -

**AN: **I've decided. I suck at keeping one-shots, one-shots. This one seems like it'll just go one and on. But don't worry. It actually won't. I can hear you laughing. Since I've said that the story should have finished a long time ago, I'm just not going to say it anymore, and let this story run wild. But, having said that, I bet I'll finish within the next two chapters.

Review please. And tell me if you need tissues.


	6. The Sequel Part V

**AN: **Maybe this is the last chapter. Maybe not. Find out at the end! Hahaha. Hope this is as satisfying as the last. Even though it may not be the last chapter, still a sad chapter (yet again). I'm sick of these sad chapters. Love you guys for sticking by me through this fic. Make my aim come true :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach

- - -

**Waiting: Sequel (Part V)**

**- - -**

_Truly successful decision making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking._

_Malcolm Gladwell, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, 2005_

- - -

Sleep did not easily come for Hitsugaya that night. He knew it was childish, and he hated it because it reminded him of his old, immature self, but he desperately wanted to know what Yamamoto-taichou was up to.

Maybe it was because of the recent execution of Byakuya and Renji, or the tension and rumours that were rising within the ranks of the Gotei-13, Hitsugaya didn't know.

All he knew was that he sensed that the old man was up to something more deeper than he could ever comprehend. Hitsugaya knew that his sixth sense was usually correct, and in earlier years he used to act upon it rashly, usually leading to some sort of failure.

Now, he knew he was immensely stronger than what he was before, but years of experience taught him to wait.

To wait when he couldn't.

If he did run in, he suspected there would be something – maybe a fight with those mysterious whitecloaks. But if he did run in, would he ruin Yamamoto's plans? Or would he save his life?

Hitsugaya snorted. The old man was a lot stronger than himself. Who was he to say that he could save the old man's life?

He turned in his bed, closing his eyes but not sleeping.

- - -

If she weren't on such an important mission, Rukia would have appreciated her surroundings. As she had predicted, in the world Urahara called _God's Domain, _she landed in the same place as she had before. Directly in front of a tall, glassy building. The first time she had been here, she had no idea what to do, but she had caught the familiar flash of orange hair, and she had followed him inside the building.

It was Ichigo of course, that time, but this time she didn't have much luck. The person had explained to her that Ichigo had gone on a holiday to Hawaii.

Hawaii? Where the hell was Hawaii? She had no idea, but she didn't show it. Instead, she asked for Ichigo's address, upon which the man promptly told her – and without her asking, he gave her directions to his house. She wrote it all down on a piece of paper and headed outside.

Puffing by the time she reached his house, she knocked on the door, even though she knew no one would be home. She sat on the front steps, resting her head on her knees.

One teardrop fell after another into the dust, but she was used to this.

She waited.

- - -

Ichigo picked up a handful of sand, and watch it sparkle as it fell through the cracks in his hands.

It was beautiful, he thought.

"Dad! Let's make a sand-castle!"

He smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'm coming."

He brushed his hands off, leaving the sparkling sand behind.

He really would have liked to play with the sand a bit longer, just like that, picking it up, and letting it slip through his fingers.

- - -

There was only twelve this time.

Urahara grinned, while the rest of the group had serious, ready-to-fight faces.

"Urahara Kisuke."

"Yes?" he answered the leader of the whitecloaks.

"We have reason to believe that you made a fraud copy of _The Death of a Shinigami. _For this you will die. Will you hand over the genuine copy?"

"Yeah," he answered casually, reaching into his cloak and retrieving the book. "Here you go," he said, throwing the book at the leader's feet. The leader glared at him as he leaned down to pick it up.

"Check it," he said calmly, without taking his eyes off Urahara. Another white cloak came from behind him and took the book from the leader.

"We still have to kill you, since you know this much," the leader stated coldly.

Urahara nodded. "I know."

"We have also reason to believe that you have invented a machine that is not in accordance with the Spirit King's wishes."

Urahara waved his hand. "Let's hurry this up. You don't like me, my machine, or the people using my machine, correct?"

The leader's eye's bulged with frustration. "You will wait until we list the things you have been accused of."

"Oh –"

"Urahara. Please wait."

Urahara stopped drawing his sword, and watched as Yamamoto stepped forward. The old man spoke in a loud clear voice. "Assassination squad. I advise that you do not take us lightly."

"Old man, even though you are the head of the Gotei-13, you are foolish. We _never _fail our missions."

"Never? Then why was my subordinate once called Keito Haru?"

The leader's eyes narrowed. "Kill them," was his only reply to the old man's taunts.

- - -

Hitsugaya pulled his pillow over his head. It would not do for him to rush out. It would not do for him to rush out.

He kept repeating this in his head, and finally, sleep came, though distorted and filled with ugly nightmares.

- - -

Two whitecloaks had gone down by Yamamoto's blade. The old man, though old, could fight, and could fight well. He attacked the leader.

One whitecloak died at the hands of Yoruichi and she was now fighting two whitecloaks.

Urahara was still in battle with four other whitecloaks, while he mysterious vice-captain of the first division was fighting the remaining two.

A minute later, the vice-captain fell, and the two jumped to Yamamoto's fight with the leader. The leader promptly jumped out of the fight and ran at full speed – at Yoruichi, who seemed to be having trouble with the two whitecloaks she was fighting.

Without thinking, Urahara jumped in the way of the outstretched blade, only something he could do. It was a foolish action, not one he, a veteran at war should be taking.

The leader obviously knew as well. "Fool," he hissed, wrenching the sword out of Urahara's gut.

"Yoru…ichi..."

She probably couldn't hear him, he thought. Still he continued whispering her name, and suddenly her body appeared a few feet away from him, flung back by one of the white cloaks. She was bleeding profusely in all areas of her body, but she crawled slowly to him.

"You are an idiot," she said with much labour.

A few seconds later, they heard a thud. Yamamoto had finally fallen.

- - -

Hitsugaya's eyes snapped open. He couldn't take this anymore. He had had a terrible dream that the mysterious white cloaked people had come back, in the dead of the night.

Yamamoto had tried to stop them, and he had fallen under their superior power.

Damn imagination.

Hitsugaya got dressed and headed to the 12th division, where his nightmare had taken place. Even if nothing had happened…he could at least check it out. He would take his time, though. Just in case nothing really had happened – he already knew the consequences of rushing in too early. If he took the long way around, he would be at the 12th division by about day break. In about an hour.

Plenty of time.

- - -

"You know…we could have won if you hadn't saved me," Yoruichi said softly.

She lay in the dirt, face to face with Urahara. It was a long time since she had seen Urahara in such a condition.

"It was stupid, wasn't it," he said, unusually serious.

"Yeah. You are always so stupid," she said tenderly.

"You would be dead if it weren't for me. Why don't you be thankful?" he replied, his breath coming in short, loud rasps.

"You're right. Thanks. But we're going to die, anyway," she retorted, injecting some sarcasm into her dying voice.

Urahara closed his eyes. "It hurts," he said after a while.

"I love you, you know?" She had told him this before. He always ignored it.

Urahara didn't open his eyes. "We're related."

Yoruichi didn't reply to that – he had also told her that before.

He cracked open one eye, smiling his creepy grin one last time. "But where we're going, we won't be."

- - -

There were so many people at the beach, but Ichigo felt lonely. It was as if he was in some sort of computer game; the people around him weren't real.

"You kids stay with mum," he said, sending the kids off to where they were sitting. "I'll go get your ice creams."

He trotted off towards the ice cream vendor.

The line was long, and the sun was hot. Not what he wanted. He felt a hand touch his shoulder lightly. A blonde man walked past him slowly, but his face was hidden.

"Go back home."

Ichigo spun around, surprised. What was that all about?

He looked for the man that had said those mysterious words, but he couldn't find him. All he could see was another blonde guy flirting with a beautiful tanned woman, her exotic purple hair done up in a high ponytail. He heard the guy's utter a strange 'ohohoho' laugh, and decided that it wasn't the guy that had spoken to him – his voice was much deeper, and serious.

- - -

"Damn!" The leader smashed his fist against the wall. Really, damn that Urahara Kisuke. The barrier he had put up was of the highest calibre – it would be a while before they could break through it – about an hour, at the most.

It didn't seem long, but they didn't have time to waste. Night would be over in an hour. They didn't want the whole Gotei-13 on their backs. They had, after all, lost three men, which made their group number nine assassins.

"Start breaking the barrier!"

- - -

Hitsugaya would never forget what he saw, no matter how long he lived.

Four dead bodies.

He would also never forgive himself for not coming earlier. He knelt down, his eyes watering. It had to be the work of those whitecloaks. He had noticed during the 'execution' of Byakuya and Renji, the whitecloaks hadn't bothered with taking off their heads, which would confirm their deaths.

Hitsugaya, being the genius he was, wondered why this was so. The only certain way a shinigami could die was through their head being severed from the body. But Byakuya and Renji had just died through body wounds created by the whitecloak's swords.

That left one other option, one Hitsugaya didn't like to entertain. Their swords were of a different material to a normal zanpaktou.

A fatal wound with those swords would spell death for a shinigami.

He knelt down, taking a deep breath. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

His voice echoed, giving him no answer.

"_Ban kai_"

The rising sun was blacked out, and the tears on his face froze.

- - -

Ichigo sat restlessly in his aeroplane seat.

The sun was shining outside, but it was the antonym of his mood. He had gotten into a big fight with his wife – and he really couldn't blame her. What kind of husband abandoned a family holiday to go back to the house?

He had promised he would be back in a few days, giving excuses and reasons which he knew she wouldn't believe.

The only thing that would console her was that he said that he would explain everything when he came back.

Yeah, right. He didn't even know what was wrong with him himself.

- - -

An hour had passed but the barrier still wasn't down.

"Damn. How much longer will it take?" asked the leader.

"About five minutes, sir."

"Hurry it up. The sun should be coming up soon. Actually," the leader paused. "I wonder why it hasn't already."

He was thrown back violently as the man he had put on duty crashed into him.

"Who the –"

"I am Hitsugaya Toshiro. The person who kills you."

The leader stood up. The legendary 10th division captain. This would be interesting. His sword was so powerful that he could control even the elements. Well. That explained why the sun hadn't come up.

The leader stood up, keeping his eyes on the angry captain, while addressing his men.

"Second-in-command?"

"Sir?" came the reply from behind him.

"Trade places with me. Fight him and kill him."

- - -

Ichigo willed the taxi to hurry faster. A sense of urgency had over taken his mind. All that was in his head now was that he _needed _to get home. He didn't know why, but he just had this desperate calling – _someone _was calling him.

The taxi pulled into his driveway, and he quickly shoved a pile of bills into the man's hand, yelling 'keep the change' before shutting the door.

His scanned the front steps. No one was there.

- - -

**AN: **Oh, probably next chapter I'll finish yeah? Maybe I should put it under the drama section. Bit late though.


	7. The Sequel Finale

**AN: **I actually wrote this a long time before I released it. Hahaha. Well, since the one-shot that mutated is almost finished, well, I thought I might as well tell you. Also, all those other chapters have been written a long time before I released them as well. I was just waiting for more reviews. Hahaha. **Important: I may continue this fic later on. But for now, it ends in this chapter.**

Anyway, this author's note is going to be the happiest bit of this fanfic. I hope you guys know what's going on as this is the last chapter – um…please tell me in your reviews if you don't get it, or what you 'perceive' happened and I will try clear things up. Hopefully you get all the 'hints'.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach, nor the song at the end.

- - -

**Waiting: The Sequel (Finale)**

**- - -**

_Our revels now are ended. These our actors,_

_As I foretold you, were all spirits, and_

_Are melted into air, into thin air:_

_And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,_

_The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,_

_The solemn temples, the great globe itself,_

_Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,_

_And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,_

_Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff_

_As dreams are made on; and our little life_

_Is rounded with a sleep._

_William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "The Tempest", Act 4 scene 1_

- - -

He looked down on the globe. It was peaceful, the way it should be. There was no abnormalities – yet. He knew something was happening, something that would stretch the pathway between the other worlds and _his _world.

He knew that it was possible for shinigami to access this place if they were in a coma – but there really hadn't been any cases of that since _Keito Haru_. His impact on the world was insignificant.

But now, _that_ guy, he swung the weight of the world, like it was a pendulum. Something would need to be done, and he hated doing it.

The people _that _guy had closely interacted with…it wasn't safe for them anymore – it wasn't safe for his world anymore.

But the bottom line was; he was a creator, not a destroyer.

- - -

Ichigo looked around frantically. Surely _something _had to be out of place. There had to be some reason why he was feeling uneasy. Besides, what was he going to explain to his wife when he went back to Hawaii? That he went back to the house, looked at it, and then flew straight back?

He laughed, in spite of himself. That sounded truly ridiculous, and she'd probably wonder if he _really _had come out of his coma. He walked up the front stairs slowly.

Turning the key in the lock seemed to take longer than usual, and the damn thing got stuck again. Cursing silently, he finally got the door open, and chucked his luggage to the side. The house seemed strangely quiet – usually there were the sounds of his kids playing, or his wife, talking on the phone. Now it was just him, alone.

He was suddenly thirsty. Grabbing a carton of fruit juice from the fridge, he poured himself a glass. He walked towards the window of the kitchen, where it over looked their small garden.

His glass shattered as it hit the floor.

- - -

The ice sword clashed with horrendous pressure.

The whitecloak grimaced. There was no holding back, now, was there? Hitsugaya Toshirou. The Spirit King had an eye out for the well-known prodigy. His potential had probably not yet reached its limit, which was terrifying, as the 10th division captain was probably the strongest all-round, perhaps only lacking in experience compared with the other captains.

It was going to be a shame to kill the reincarnation of the heavenly guardian. The Spirit King would possibly contemplate the idea of bringing Hitsugaya into the Royal Guard, but the way things looked now, the genius was clearly past all talking, not to mention reason.

- - -

"Ru…kia?"

There was someone, walking around in his garden. As the glass hit the floor, time seemed to stand still as she turned around. That raven-coloured hair, the hair he had admired so much when he was still in school, but never said anything, her piercing eyes, and her lips…which he had kissed…but it seemed like a long time.

It was her.

He watched as her eyes widened slowly, and she ran towards the kitchen sliding door. Ichigo fumbled with the keys he had placed on the bench a while ago; his thirstiness temporarily put on hold.

As he pushed the glass sliding door to the side, Rukia entered, after taking off her shoes.

"Ichigo," he heard her say shakily, and then she fell forward, into his arms.

- - -

By the time Rukia came to, the sun was setting, casting a soft orange glow in the living room. She was lying on a couch, she noticed, and was covered with a blanket. Her eyes opened slightly.

"Ichigo!"

She tried to sit up, but found she could only do so with great difficulty. Dammit. She didn't know that she would have to eat in this world as well in order to survive. Going without food for the past few days had probably been the most stupid decision she had ever made. Well, except for rejecting Ichigo.

Ichigo walked into the room, and she let herself fall back down on the couch.

He was holding two cups of tea, and he handed one to her, as he sat on the edge of the couch, above her head. Rukia sat up slowly, and sipped her tea.

For a while they didn't say anything.

"I'm hungry." She was meaning to say something else, but her basic desires had taken over her power of speech.

- - -

"Rukia…"

They were sitting on the couch again. Rukia had wolfed her way through four servings of food, and she was already feeling better.

"Yeah?" she answered, feeling better already. Now to just explain the whole situation to him, and then get back to Soul Society.

"Why…why did you come here?" he asked softly. "Didn't I tell you? I have a wife…and kids." He was referring to the incident in the park, when she approached him in his office.

She waited a moment before replying. "Truly…don't you remember? You…don't belong here."

A sudden pain assaulted his head, and he clutched his forehead. "What the…what do you mean, I don't belong here?"

Something told him she was right, but what did she mean? Didn't he grow up in this place?

"Remember, Ichigo?" she touched his shoulder softly. "You…were in a coma…in Soul Society."

The words 'Soul Society' shot beams of pain through his brain, and he squeezed his eyes shut as memories flooded in. Memories of Rukia, him, captains and vice-captains. His father, his sisters, and Rukia again.

And then, he had come back, for a little while. He had stayed with Rukia, that little while. Then he had to go to _this _world, for his family. Why was she here? He sat on the couch, with his head in hands.

"Ichigo."

He felt her small hands guiding his face towards hers. She kissed him, without saying anything more.

He remembered something like this. They had been sitting in a field, and she had kissed him then, too.

- - -

The barrier was down, but Urahara wasn't on the Spirit King's watch list for nothing. They had to spend an extra half an hour trying to break down a powerful electrical barrier that the former 12th division captain had put up as a precaution.

But finally, they were in. But with losses. The electrical barrier had killed two of his men instantly, and, counting the second-in-command, there was only seven of them left.

Seven was enough to kill two people.

"Cut the cords off the girl before you kill her."

- - -

Ichigo pulled away first. Rukia looked to the side, her face flushed. "I…" she started, but got no further.

Ichigo pulled her into another kiss, deeper than the first. The next time they broke for air, she continued her sentence. "I don't have much time…Something is happening in Soul Society."

Ichigo frowned. Something about her…it was as if she was turning paler by the second. Her voice also seemed to be fading away, as if he was hearing it from a great distance.

"Rukia?" he said, panic creeping into his voice. He shook her lightly. "Rukia!"

She kept her eyes open; they were the only part of her body that seemed to be resisting the fading effect.

"Rukia! Come back!" Tears dropped from his eyes, but he didn't notice anything, even when his vision became blurry.

"No…" he heard her say faintly. Then she disappeared, completely. "Why don't you come back?" he heard a voice say in the back of his mind that sounded distinctly like Rukia.

- - -

They had taken longer than expected. Urahara had placed a small barrier around the two on the bed, which took a small while to remove. They had needed to kill _two_ people.

Their job was _half_ done.

- - -

Hitsugaya rushed down the stairs, blood streaming from various wounds that he didn't feel.

He hoped he wasn't too late. That other guy would have been a tough opponent, had Hitsugaya versed him fairly. When the 10th division captain got mad, he was _mad_. With the deaths of so many powerful people in Soul Society, there were only a few people left that could probably fight Hitsugaya evenly.

But that was okay. He wouldn't let _anyone_ die anymore. Not after Hinamori had been killed in the war against Aizen.

- - -

The man looked sad as he placed a finger on the spinning globe. People all over the earth froze. Every living thing, every particle, every molecule stopped, because he told it to.

He was sad. It had to be done. Because _that _guy never really belonged to this world, it was inevitable that he would have to go back to wherever he came from someday. It would cause pain, and suffering for the family.

Sometimes the man hated knowing the future. Even though it told him to make the wisest choice, it hurt. A lot. But he couldn't delay his decision any longer. He had pondered over it long enough. About a year, to be exact. The people in the world wouldn't notice anything, because he had frozen time. But freezing time was a tricky thing, and it got dangerous after about a year.

There was no 'poof' or 'bang', just three less people on the beach, all girls, a hotel room turned vacant, footsteps leading to nowhere, and a sand castle, still in the process of being made, destroyed by the tide.

The world continued spinning, as if nothing had happened.

And the man wiped his tears away.

- - -

Ichigo woke to sunlight streaming through the room. Shaking his head in a dazed manner, he surveyed his surroundings. The walls were a dull grey, which stood out in stark contrast with the yellow sun. The sun was coming from high above where he was – he could tell, since the room had no roof.

No roof? He frowned. That's why walls were cracked in some places and only reached head height. It was as if an intense battle had taken place, and they hadn't fixed up the building yet.

Yes, that was right, he was in the 12th division. But what had caused all this…this damage? As far as Soul Society went, there was no such thing as natural disasters.

He sat up, as he saw heard someone coming down the stairs. His breathing quickened. Was it Rukia? More or less, he had understood his situation. She had come to visit him while he was in that weird coma-world, and now he was back. Because of her.

It wasn't her. It was someone he didn't expect to see – Hitsugaya Toshirou. The child prodigy, who didn't look like a child any longer, walked calmly up to Ichigo's bedside.

"Oh. You're finally awake," said the white haired captain.

Ichigo grunted. "Yeah."

The captain sighed, and sat down on a wooden chair next to Ichigo's bed. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"If you had woken up a bit earlier, you could have helped me out," Hitsugaya said, motioning to the broken walls and the lack of roof.

"Sorry," Ichigo replied, as there was really nothing more he could say.

"You ready?"

"Yeah," Ichigo swung his legs slowly across the bed to stand up shakily. As they climbed the stairs, Ichigo noticed marks of a battle, and a fierce one at that.

"Rukia's waiting for you, at my division," he heard the genius say. His pulse quickened. Rukia.

They reached the end of the staircase and Hitsugaya turned left. Left? Ichigo had regained his memory, and he knew, from the exit of Urahara's quarters, the tenth division was to the right.

"I thought she was in your division," he said, though he continued following Hitsugaya.

"I'm the first division captain now," came the cold reply, as if that was a reminder of a horrid memory.

Hitsugaya continued walking, even though he knew the shinigami behind him had stopped.

"Since when?" he heard the orange-haired man say.

"Ten years ago."

- - -

Ichigo's face was cold. And not just because of the cold temperature of the room.

"She's in the last room," Hitsugaya said softly, and leaned against the door post.

The room wasn't actually a room. It was a long hallway, that had strange boxes in it, each with a name plaque on it. But Ichigo ignored those long boxes, ignored that they were intricately carved, ignored the fact that they could probably the length of the average person.

Why was Rukia here? In this cold room? And why had it been ten years between his leaving the _other _world?

He reached the end of the long hallway, and then opened the door. There were two boxes here. But they were different to the rest. They were crystal clear, and Ichigo could see the body of a girl in the box closest to him.

"Ru…kia?" he croaked out. But it wasn't. It was someone else, who looked vaguely familiar. He dimly noticed Hitsugaya come in, but by now his heart was thumping so loudly he didn't care. He didn't want to believe it. The next box.

It was the same material, crystal clear as well, except for a small white envelope that lay on top of the box. In the handwriting he had taken for granted all those years ago was the words: _To Ichigo…_

He gently opened the envelop with trembling hands, not wanting to look past the envelope, not wanting to see her in that box, however beautiful it was.

The letter unfolded gently, and he read it slowly.

_Dear Ichigo,_

_I am about to be put in a coma, so I can find you. Urahara told me that the world you have gone to is the world where shinigami are sent if they die here._

_I'm writing this letter because Urahara said that you might wake up before me, so I wanted you to read this before I wake up. I just want to say a few things._

_I love you, and I did love you, back when you told me that you loved me. I couldn't reply to you because Soul Society had a rule about those things, and I didn't want to hurt you. Even though, now I know, I hurt you more by not telling you that I loved you then. If I had, then maybe this whole thing wouldn't have happened. Sorry._

_That is why I'm going to find you, and bring you back. I'm going now. The machine is ready._

_Love,_

_Rukia_

He was crying now, but he didn't care. His tears were wetting the letter, but here were no pictures, or drawings, or anything distinctly Rukia-like. It must have been a hurried letter.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder, and he turned around. Hitsugaya was standing there, with a sheathed zanpaktou in his hand.

"When Hinamori died, I made perfectly transparent ice to place her in so I would never forget her how she looked. I put Rukia in the same ice. But I didn't include her sword because..." _Because a shinigami can't die by their own blade! _Was what he was supposed to say, but instead he kept quiet and handed the sword over to the other shinigami. "Here," he said flatly.

Ichigo took the sword, and their eyes met for a moment passed between the genius and the orange-haired shinigami.

"I'll be back tomorrow…" The white-haired captain turned his gaze away, looking slightly awkward. "You know…just to clean things up." His gaze fell on the other coffin that held the girl he loved. "When you go...if you see Hinamori…tell her…," the prodigy shook his head, and cleared his throat as his voice sounded hoarse. He had read that book in Yamamoto's desk – after a few weeks of searching, he had finally found the keyhole to the key Yamamoto had mysteriously given to him the night before he died. Being a genius, he quickly put the pieces of the puzzle together and only regretted not knowing earlier. "Never mind."

Ichigo nodded, and Hitsugaya left.

- - -

"_I need to talk with you again,_

_Why did you go away?_

_All our time together, just feels like yesterday…"_

_Will You Wait For Me, Kavana_

_Part I: Fini_


	8. Departing Part I

**AN: **Hi everyone. (I'm posting it a bit late…because I haven't written the next chapter after this…) I haven't replied to some people's reviews because of the simple reason that fanfiction is withholding your reviews from my mailbox, which made me automatically assume that no one had sent me reviews, when in fact, people had, just that it hadn't been sent to my email. Right, so I'm trying to tie together a general response type thing in this author's note.

**LOOK HERE FOR AN EXPLANATION OF LAST CHAPTER (You may need to re-read the last chapter):**

First off, I'll do a summarized explanation of the last chapter. Not to make anyone feel bad or anything, but when for this story, I got my little sister, who is newly thirteen, to read my story – the reason being so I can check if it's not too "vague". Well, she got everything that was going on…so I presumed that the chapter was safe for publication.

Having said that, I understand if people don't "get" it fully, but people, stories are about reading in between the lines, and drawing your own conclusions from the story. I apologise for writing a confusing chapter, and though I may be viewing this whole situation from a biased standpoint, it is highly rewarding when you work out what is actually happening in the story.

Gah…Ok, ok, I'm not having a rant at people because they don't get my fic, but I'm just saying…that if you read it through like a normal the-author-spoon-feeds-you-everything type of story, well…you probably shouldn't.

Ok, so last chapter – the first little section. This was supposed to be a little piece of writing on the perspective of an external being, that higher power, "God". This was to provide some sort of prelude to "God's" actions later on in the story.

The next few bits are straight forward. I intertwined the meeting of Ichigo and Rukia in God's Domain, with Hitsugaya's fight in Soul Society to provide a contrast to highlight the _apparent _peacefulness of God's Domain, and the insane ferocity of the battle between Hitsugaya and the Whitecloak.

Next up, I put in a little section about the breaking of the barrier, but the main point of that was to imply that the Whitecloaks were going to kill both Ichigo and Rukia.

Later on, I tried to make it obvious that Rukia died. Two clues: She disappeared from God's Domain with no apparent reason, and then the part directly after that, it says, "They had needed to kill _two _people…Their job was _half _done."

The next little bit just outlined that Hitsugaya had won his battle, leaving the details to your own imagination.

From here, the story switches back to "God's" point of view, and it shows him performing some sort of action, killing off some people. Note that I didn't say who, but there were various clues in the passage that gave it away.

"There was no 'poof' or 'bang', just three less people on the beach, all girls, a hotel room turned vacant, footsteps leading to nowhere, and a sand castle, still in the process of being made, destroyed by the tide."

Ichigo's other family fits this description quite well right?

Also, inside that same section, I put in a little something which I did not expect people to get (though my little sister got it so thought it would be ok to put in)…I said that God froze time for a year, which would be equivalent to 10 years in Soul Society, hence explaining why Ichigo woke up 10 years later in Soul Society. Ichigo tried to leave God's Domain, but was frozen in time, though he didn't know it.

Hopefully that bit makes sense now.

The rest is just Ichigo finding out that he is a bit late, Rukia is now dead, and it is implied in the end with Hitsugaya giving Ichigo Rukia's Soul Slayer that Ichigo is going to kill himself to be with Rukia in God's Domain.

There were multiple hints here, such as Hitsugaya telling Ichigo, "When you go…if you see Hinamori…tell her…" obviously implying that Hitsugaya knows that Ichigo is going to go back to God's Domain via his own death.

Now…if anyone has any questions after this, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank-you for reading, I hope I have cleared up and defended my stance properly. Now, next chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach

- - -

**Waiting (Departing: Part I)**

**- - -**

_It is better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all._

_Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902), The Way of All Flesh, Chapter 77_

- - -

The lighting that flashed overhead was soon followed by a loud crash of thunder. Ichigo didn't care; he just kept walking, kept moving. He needed to. In order to find Rukia. He didn't really understand the rules about _God's Domain _but he had retained most of his memories. He had a sneaking feeling that people weren't supposed to remember their past lives as a shinigami, or a hollow, but for some reason he knew. Probably because he had already been to the world before – he had been here three times, this being the third time. And for good, this time. Even though last time came close – if Rukia hadn't come to remind him, he would have kept living, aimlessly.

There was a problem, however, with retaining memories. He always wondered what had happened to his 'wife' and 'kids' he had had while in this world. He questioned many people, including the parents of his wife, but they had no idea who he was talking about.

None of her friends knew what he was talking about as well. It was as if his family had been suddenly erased from existence, wiped from the minds of everyone here. He had accepted that for some reason, they had been wiped out, but the question 'why?' and 'how?' weren't what was on his mind at the moment. He had put that all behind him.

He was looking for her now. Rukia. Actually, even while his mind was still being plagued with questions of what had happened to his family, he had still been looking for her. He had located his house quite easily (it was for sale) and started searching from there.

The sad thing was, that had been about a year ago.

- - -

Hitsugaya looked at the calendar. He sighed. Even though he ran the Gotei-13 almost perfectly, it was still a very hard job. At least about a week from now he would have a break. His only break, every year. Well, his only 'official' break. The break everyone in the Gotei-13 knew about. And it was really a break because Matsumoto actually did work that day.

The day that Hinamori died.

This would be the 120th anniversary. Some say time can heal everything, but every time he visited her, and remembered her death, those scars opened up. And bled.

The whole of Gotei-13 had a special day to remember the masses of shinigami that had died in the war against Aizen, but that was separate to Hitsugaya's own personal holiday. In it, he always visited her in that room, then went outside of the Court of Pure Souls to have a small lunch at their old place.

Right now it was run down, and abandoned, but he still sat underneath the cherry blossoms, wishing he was there to stop her from being killed.

- - -

He sat on the moon.

In front of him, a scale balance sat. It was not unlike the traditional scale balance where it acted as a see-saw. However, instead of having two places where the weights were supposed to be placed, there were three.

The balance of the three worlds.

The man reached behind him, and pulled out a small blue globe. He placed it on the scale. He reached behind him again, and this time pulled out two other globes, both which were colourless. He placed them on the scale, and watched as the balance shifted and swayed until it reached an equilibrium.

To the untrained eye, it seemed as if the balance was equal in all parts, but the man had been doing this since the beginning of time. He knew it all, down to the very last hair.

"Earth needs…two more people," he said quietly to himself. Of course it was only to himself. No one else was around.

The man scratched his chin. He could freeze time now, and pick out two people; people he thought deserved another chance. Because he didn't do this very often, he had a lot of time to observe the actions of the people in his domain. But something told him to act against it, and he picked the two people at random.

He wouldn't do it immediately. There would be a right time for it.

- - -

Ichigo entered the city. He had lost count of how many cities he had been to. He had lost count of how many people he had asked about a 'short girl, with jet-black hair'. It wasn't much of a description, and granted, there were many females that fit that description but it didn't discourage him.

In fact, it strengthened him. Or so he thought.

This city would be no different. He had nearly traveled the globe, surviving by doing odd jobs, hitchhiking, and luck. America, this country was called, but he hardly cared. The only thing he cared about was Rukia.

He sat down at a coffee shop, ordering, and then sitting down and waiting. Not waiting for the coffee, but waiting for her to magically appear. Waiting for her to walk past him, just like it happened in the movies.

He would be watching the general crowd walk past, and then spot her. After that, everything would slow down, and he would run to her, she would recognize him, and they would live happily ever after.

But that never happened, he thought to himself, as he thanked the waitress for the coffee. He sipped carefully, as it was hot. Over the steam that the coffee was giving off, he saw that jet-black hair.

And only one person in the world had that hairstyle. Only one person in the world was that height. That exact height.

He jumped up, coffee forgotten, and walked towards her. Time seemed to slow down, but he didn't have the time to ponder whether this was really like the movies. She was walking in his general direction, and his breath caught. She looked beautiful.

But did she remember him? He would say his name, and see if she recognized him.

His heart pounded. "Hi, I'm –"

_Time stopped. _

"…Kurosaki Ichigo."

He had _felt _it stop. Because when he felt the world continue, he had just introduced himself to an old lady who he had seen behind Rukia.

Rukia had disappeared.

- - -

Urahara led what could be best described as a 'privileged' life. He owned a mansion in the suburbs, worked low hours in a big business with a large salary, and had many conferences which often allowed him to holiday all over the world.

He _knew_.

It was hard at first, but soon enough everything came back to him. Even when he had talked to Yoruichi, she hadn't known. Of course, she knew now, but he had had his fun, talking to her, asking where she had come from – it was really amusing to find out that she was from all these places, and families (though he had known where she _really _had come from).

They had met in Hawaii, and he had proposed to her on the second night they had gone out on a date. For a number of reasons.

One was because he knew she liked him.

Two was because he was leaving the next morning.

Three was because it was only until she would accept him, then he was going to tell her the truth. It was something he had decided himself. Because he wanted to know whether she had _truly _loved him in their past life. Oh sure, she had told him numerous times, but he had thought she had just mixed up feelings about love. Besides, he couldn't really go around telling her all he knew and then she might not accept it (or him).

She had said yes. Her reason was simple: 'Because I feel like I've known you before'.

After that he knew he could tell her. So he told her everything, though he didn't need to. After recounting a few events, she slowly regained her memory. And changed back into the Yoruichi he knew.

Even though, now, he still joked with her about how he liked the Yoruichi he had met initially. Their wedding was small, but both were happy. Even though he still had his job at the big business, he opened up a small candy store next to his house. Yoruichi usually ran it while he was away at work.

Urahara didn't know what had happened to Ichigo, nor had he seen him ever since that time in Hawaii. A pity, he thought. He would have liked to know the end result.

- - -

At first, Ichigo didn't know how to react. After apologizing profusely to the old lady, and paying his bill at the coffee shop, he walked out of the main city. When he came to a quiet place, he looked around.

There was nobody on the streets.

And then he screamed.

Screamed because he had had enough. Searching for one year, finally finding Rukia, then having her taken away in front of his eyes – to God-knows-where – perhaps not even on this planet.

He opened his eyes, shocked. The thought had never occurred to him – what if she was wiped off this plane of existence just like his wife.

He walked a few more steps, wandering aimlessly. It was surely possible – no other person on the streets questioned the fact that someone had just disappeared like that from the crowd.

In fact, it was as if nothing had happened. But Ichigo _knew_. She was real, because he saw her eyes change direction when he started his sentence. But what if she was wiped out? What would become of him?

Suddenly he wished that he didn't know this – he wished that he could've lived peacefully, and happy, even if it was in ignorance. He laughed quietly to himself. Right now, it wouldn't matter if he died. It wouldn't matter, because no one cared for him anymore.

Come to think about it, he really did have no one.

And then he collapsed, the mental strain had taken over him. One year of searching was starting to take its toll.

He vaguely remembered hearing footsteps on the ground, and then the darkness covered him.

- - -

The man had moved from the moon. He had now taken a step back, and watched as the two people that had been picked changed worlds.

It was a bit different to the time when he had wiped out that family. At that time, because he knew who it was he was going to take away, he could freeze time straight away. However, this time, because he was choosing at random, he had to _slow _down time before hand.

A few people would probably notice it, but it was safe to do so.

Those two inner souls he had picked out were two girls. One had been here a relatively long time, while the other, not so long. But it didn't matter, how long the people stayed in his domain – once they had transferred, it would secure the balance of the three worlds.

And then he heard the scream.

He recognized that scream. A scream of anguish and frustration. A cry for sympathy. And within seconds, the man was gone, headed towards the source of the scream. A long time ago, he was known as the great helper. And if he could help this person, then he would.

- - -

**AN: **Ah, how'd you like it? It is a continuation, so hopefully those people who wanted a happy ending…well, get a happy ending? Lol, well reviews are much appreciated.


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